Israeli officials declined comment today on the visit of Under secretary of State W. Averell Harriman, who is scheduled to arrive here tomorrow for talks with Premier Levi Eshkel and other Israeli leaders. Mr. Harriman will be the highest United States official to visit here in several years.
It was indicated that while the current crisis between West Germany and Israel will be a major topic, the talks will not be mediation. The need for high-level United States-Israel contacts had been recognized and discussed before the controversy with Bonn over its suspension two weeks ago of arms shipments to Israel developed.
The talks were expected to cover a wide range of area problems, including the threat by the Arabs to divert the Jordan River and Israeli security questions. It was learned here that the question of an Israel-Arab arms imbalance, resulting from the increased arms flow to Arab countries, had been the subject of recent talks between Israeli Ambassador Avraham Harman and Washington officials.
Mr. Harriman is due in Jerusalem simultaneously with the controversial visit by East German Communist head of state Walter Ulbricht to Cairo, where he will arrive tomorrow. The visit was a factor in the Bonn cancelation of arms deliveries to Israel.
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